Running head: Multicultural Theory Paper 4

Case Study:

The effects of Work-Life Balance on job

satisfaction among FEMALE nurses
By:

Suzette Charlery

Professor: Dr. Chris Hogan

International College of the Cayman Islands

GR: 503. Multicultural Theories
December 7, 2015

Abstract

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THE EFFECTS OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE ON JOB SATISFACTION AMONG NURSES

Work and life remain the two most important domains today, in the life of an employed
individual. There is a growing awareness in today's workplaces that nurses do not give up their
lives just because they work. However, the challenge of balancing work and non-work demands
is one of today's central concerns for both individuals and organizations. With the growing
diversity of family structures represented in todays workforce, particularly with the growing
norm of dual-career families, the importance of managing an employee's work-life balance have
increased markedly over the past 20 years. Employers realize that the quality of an employee's
personal and family life impacts work quality and that there are concrete business reasons to
promote work and non-work integration (Moran and Abramson, 2014).
In this paper, the objective is to examine how female nurses experience work-life balance. Focus
is on how work-life balance affects job satisfaction.

Introduction
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THE EFFECTS OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE ON JOB SATISFACTION AMONG NURSES

Work life balance is the degree to which an individual can simultaneously balance the temporal,
emotional, and behavioral demands of both paid work and family responsibilities (Moran and
Abramson, 2014). Employee increasingly recognizes that work infringes on their personal lives,
and this affects their happiness. According to Robbins and Judge (2014), recent studies suggest
employees want jobs that give them flexibility in their work schedules so they can better manage
work-life conflicts.
Job satisfaction refers to an employees attitude towards their job; it describes a positive feeling
about a job from the evaluation of its characteristics. Robbins and Judge (2014), argue that
persons with a high level of job satisfaction holds positive feelings about their job whereas a
person with low-level holds negative feelings. Job satisfaction can be affected if there is a
problem with balancing life outside of work and life at work. Nurses for work night duty and
twelve-hour shift while managing child care and family commitments. Work life balance affect
couples who work equally, single mothers and single fathers as well as those living the
traditional parenthood where only fathers are working and trying to find workfamily balance
(Moran and Abramson, 2014).
Work-life balance for nurses are highly desirable and if there is no job satisfaction, and
consistency, it can create a dilemma for working women. Nurses play a vital role in the health
industry, and it is important that their needs are taken care of, and a congenital atmosphere at
work and home is created (Lakshmi et al., 2012).

Aim and Significance

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THE EFFECTS OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE ON JOB SATISFACTION AMONG NURSES

My Case study will focus on the importance of a good work-life balance for nurses, and I will
explore how this relates to their level of job satisfaction. According to Robbins and Judge
(2014), though, in the past, women were required to make a clear choice as to whether they
wanted to have a career or a family, today a professional career and motherhood are no longer
considered mutually exclusive.

Statement of the problem

Women of the Western world have always worked and had families; its only the context that has
shifted and changed over the years. Nevertheless, it can be strenuous to balance ones personal
and professional responsibilities (Moran and Abramson, 2013). Many nurses wish to balance
both families and work responsibilities to avoid work-life conflicts and to improve job
satisfaction.
Sometimes stress is a good thing, but it is necessary to identify when its a problem. Nurses
provide service and care in all parts of their lives, and this expectation can create stress,
especially when barriers exist to achieving it (Boertje and Ferron, 2013). At work, nurses are
balancing job demands, erratic work schedules and feeling the inability to say no when someone
asks for help. On the other hands while at home, nurses are faced with the challenges of
balancing their responsibilities of being a mother, partner, wife, simultaneously with tending to
household and financial needs while being supportive to friends and family.
According to Makabe et al. (2015), there is a high turnover rate among nurses in Japan, and
many do not return to work in nursing positions after resigning. In many different countries,
shortage of nurses is a serious problem. Therefore, it is important to encourage current nurses to

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THE EFFECTS OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE ON JOB SATISFACTION AMONG NURSES

remain in their professional career. Efforts to improving work life balance can contribute to job
satisfaction. (Makabe et al., 2015).

Research question
Technological advancement and a shift in family demands are impacting the workplace. As a
result, changes are taking place in work styles, work culture, family, needs, and work demands.
Work life balance is especially important when an organization has to manage highly technical
professionals because of their high commitment and loyalty is needed for the success of the
organization (Azeem and Akhtar, 2014). In regards to nurses:

What are the barriers to work-life balance?

Do work-life balance and job satisfaction matter?
Is there a significant connection between work life balance and job satisfaction?

Research show that health care workers who are work-oriented make accommodations that
meet their needs for challenges while allowing for career enrichment. On the other hand, those
who are family-oriented seek accommodations to minimize conflicts with family requirements
(Cinamon & Ritch, 2005 as cited by Azeem, 2014).

What strategies can promote good work- life balance?

Managers are expected to provide healthy practices on work-life balance for nurses to be better
able to deliver efficient health care.

How can management support favorable treatment, and employee satisfaction?

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THE EFFECTS OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE ON JOB SATISFACTION AMONG NURSES

Review of literature
Lakshmi et al. (2012) firmly believed the triangle of work and family, life satisfaction and job
satisfaction has to be entangled by the high level of positive waves to achieve professional
objectives effectively and efficiently. Furthermore, studies prove that improper work-life
balance, work pressure, and improper work environment have a greater impact on job
satisfaction and the successful outcome of the health care (Lakshmi et al., 2012).
Robbins and Judges (2014), found after researching over three hundred studies that happy
workers are more likely to be productive workers. Furthermore, organizations with more
satisfied employees tend to be more effective compared to those organizations with fewer.
According to Makabe et al. (2015), work-life imbalance decreases job satisfaction and quality of
life which affect the quality of care and nurses overall health. They concluded that improvement
of work-life balance by both management and individual nurses was essential.

Barriers to work life balance

The role of nurses has expanded and the demand for this profession is increasing as the care they
provide makes a difference in the lives of the people in the community. Nurses concern for others
can cause conflicts that manifest as stress. Lakshmi et al. (2012), found that factors that lead
nurses population to mental stress and work pressure included improper:

Work life balance

Unlimited workload

Nurses often work long hours which mean their presence at home is significantly reduced; they
are stress out by missing out on social activities and family events and often not able to tend to

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THE EFFECTS OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE ON JOB SATISFACTION AMONG NURSES

their childs sickness. Studies by Azeem and Akhtar (2014), show that the more a person is
engaged in their job, the higher the work-family conflict will eventually lead to increase job
burnout, low satisfaction, and reduced commitment. Satisfaction of employees is considered the
key success factor for organizations (Akeem and Akhtar, 2014).
External barriers to work-life balance include inadequate staffing, changes in practice
expectations, generational differences between skill sets and training. These are noticeable gaps
between the goal of on-the-job perfection and the realities of life. (Boertje and Ferron, 2013).

Effective strategies for good work-life balance and job satisfaction

The pace of a nursing career is very hectic. Organizations that help nurses find a balance also
draw them to the passion for the mission and avoid burnout. Studies demonstrate that investing
in work life balance initiatives result in:

Reduces absenteeism
Increases productivity
Improves morale and working relationships
Decreases stress
Attracts new employees
Help retain current employees

It is the responsibility of the management team to assess the cause of work-life balance and put
strategies in place to overcome the hurdles and make nurses productive (Ross, 2010 cited by
Lakshmi, 2012).
Strategies
The research by Lakshmi et al., (2012), found that work-life balance caused by factors such as
work pressure and longer hours were solved by introducing flexi timing, job rotation, career

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THE EFFECTS OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE ON JOB SATISFACTION AMONG NURSES

growth, family get together, children school funds, child care centers at the workplace. As a
result, nurses were more motivated to work and gave 100% to their job (Lakshmi et at, 2012).
Also, the Canadian research instigators HR Council (n.d), acknowledged vacation leaves,
religious observance, and promotion of fitness and healthy lifestyle among staff inspired them
and positively affected employment.
Benefits through management support
When good work life balance is available, it is proven to increase intake of skilled nurses, reduce
turnover, increase job satisfaction and their level of commitment as well as it allowed them to be
more dedicated and provide positive health care (Lakshmi, 2012).
Employee support
Social exchange theory supports the possibility that work-life policies when implemented,
promotes employee participation in a way that allows nurses to feel obligated to exert extra effort
in return for extra benefits. Nurses are not mandated to do this, but it is an advantage towards
the organization commitment when they perform this extra role activity (Azeem and Akhtar,
2014).
How can nurses help themselves?
According to Boertje and Ferron (2013), to achieve work-life balance, acceptance is a good
starting point to combat stress, develop better-coping strategies to address feelings and remove
them as barriers. Also, acknowledging the stressful things within our control such as emotions
and attitudes help. Boertje and Ferron (2013) thought important practices that help include:

Take time out when things get overwhelming. Deep breathing and meditation
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THE EFFECTS OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE ON JOB SATISFACTION AMONG NURSES

Practice better time management by talking to spouse and negotiating relationship

expectations, align priorities, set limits and boundaries on your time, seek mentors who
model good time management, work on self-acceptance for the person you are today.
Engage in necessary conversations about conflict
Set regular times to get together with family and friends.

Ways to implement work-life balance initiatives.

HR Council (n.d), suggested four steps to implementing work-life balance. Work-life balance can
be initiated with one-on-one interviews with staff or through a formal survey by first recognizing
it is based on employee needs. As managers carry out frequent consultations, they explore theses
needs and enhance employees sense of work-life balance.
Secondly, talk through concerns employees have and assess whether their needs fit the needs of
the organization, educate staff, senior management and board of directors of the rationale for
work-life balance. At this stage, managers can talk about the challenges and how to deal with
them.
Thirdly, managers are to develop a plan for the proposed work life balance initiatives while
taking into consideration how they plan to handle coverage, how they will communicate the plan
to all staff, and how they will monitor hours and productivity. Success is attainable when it starts
slowly and modestly.
Fourthly, it is imperative to have clearly written policies and procedures so that they are
consistently administered and followed (HR Council, n.d).

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THE EFFECTS OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE ON JOB SATISFACTION AMONG NURSES

Recommendation for improving work-life balance

Wellness activities and work-life balance
According to Robbins and Judges (2014), employees perceived organizational support (POS),
is the degree they believe the organization values their contribution and cares about their wellbeing. Research show that people perceive their organizations as supportive when rewards are
deemed fair, employees have a voice in decisions and their supervisors are actively supportive
(Robbins and Judge, 2014).
Work-life balance wellness related activities implemented by managers are shown to be
beneficial. Lakshmi et al. (2012) identified the activities include:

Training & Development Programs

Health awareness programs

Soft skill programs such as:

Stress management
Conflict management
Leadership skills workshop on talent technologies in medicine
Work life balance workshop

According to Dessler (2013), training has an impressive record of influencing performance.

Companies spent on average one thousand dollars per employee for training per year and offered
each about twenty hours of training (Dessler, 2013).

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THE EFFECTS OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE ON JOB SATISFACTION AMONG NURSES

Conclusion
A balanced life for nurses is one where they spread their energy and effort to key areas of
importance. Pressures from job and family domains are often incompatible, giving rise to worklife imbalance (Lakshmi et at 2012). The majority of women are working throughout the week
and juggling multiple responsibilities at home and at work that often leave nurses struggling to
achieve work-life balance. According to Makabe et al. (2015), a good work-life balance occurs
when nurses sense a 50/50 proportion between work and private life. Maintaining a good worklife balance means nurses were not overworked or having a high absenteeism rate, they had
adequate time between shift work, and there was a better shift rotation system.
The job of nursing is demanding and challenging. Nurses are a great resource for the
organization and attracting and retaining this profession is critical to the effectiveness of health
care. Work-life imbalance decreases job satisfaction and quality of life. Also, it affects the quality
of nursing care and the overall health of nurses (Makabe et al., 2014). Nurse managers have an
important role to play in fostering an organizational culture that helps staff balance work and
family responsibilities (Wang and Tsai, 2014). It is essential that managers support and are
committed to implementing strategies to improve work-life balance as well as make steps
towards developing work-life balance policies. (Akeem and Akhtar, 2014).
Job satisfaction creates innovative ideas among nurses, who become loyal and committed to their
career. Although there are barriers that affect work life balance, when nurses get what they
expect with efficient work life balance, they are more satisfied with their job and highly
productive (Makabe et at, 2015).

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References
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Organizational Commitment of Healthcare Employees. International Journal of Human
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Boertje, J., and Ferron, L. (2013). Achieving a Work-Life Balance. American Nurse Today.
Retrieved from http://www.americannursetoday.com/achieving-a-work-life-balance/

Conway, P., Campanini, P., Sartori, S. Dotti, R. and Costa, G. (2013). Main and Interactive
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Dessler, G. (2013). Human Resources Management. 13th Edition. United States of America:
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HRcouncil.ca (n.d). Workplaces that Work. HR Council. Retrieved from http://hrcouncil.ca/hrtoolkit/workplaces-health-safety.cfm

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Female Nurses in Hospitals Comparative Study between Government and Private Hospital in
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Moran, R, Abramson, N., and Moran, S. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences. 9th Edition.
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